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  • Chastain to reach 350 starts across NASCAR at Darlington

    Chastain to reach 350 starts across NASCAR at Darlington

    A significant milestone is in the making for Ross Chastain, a full-time NASCAR Xfinity Series competitor for Kaulig Racing and part-time competitor in the NASCAR Cup and Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series. By the time Chastain completes this weekend’s Xfinity and Cup doubleheader events at Darlington Raceway, he will achieve 350 starts across NASCAR’s three major division series (Truck, Xfinity and Cup Series).

    A native of Alva, Florida, who grew up as a watermelon farmer for his family’s farm and started racing after watching his father hobby racing, Chastain started his career by winning in late models and Fastruck Series races. His first start within NASCAR’s three major division series occurred at Lucas Oil Raceway in July 2011, where he drove the No. 66 Chevrolet Silverado for Turn One Racing in the NASCAR Truck Series. Starting 15th, Chastain finished 10th in his series debut. He went on to compete in four additional Truck races with Turn One Racing.

    In 2012, Chastain was named a full-time competitor of the No. 08 Toyota Tundra for SS-Green Light Racing as he entered the Truck Series as a Rookie-of-the-Year contender. Throughout the 22-race season, Chastain achieved four top-10 results, a career-best third-place run at Bristol Motor Speedway in August and he concluded the season in 17th place in the final standings. He made one start in the No. 07 Chevrolet Silverado for SS-Green Light Racing at Phoenix, where he finished 33rd.

    The following season, Chastain competed in 14 Truck races with Brad Keselowski Racing and in the No. 19 Ford F-150 led by Chad Kendrick. His first start with the team was at Daytona International Speedway in February, where he finished 14th. He went on to finish 20th at Martinsville Speedway in April and ninth at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May. He achieved his first top-five result of the season at Pocono Raceway in August. Two races later at Iowa Speedway, Chastain was dominant as he started on pole position and led a race-high 116 of 212 laps, only to be overtaken by James Buescher on a late restart and settle in a career-best second place. He went on to finish third at Talladega Superspeedway in October and second at Phoenix in November following a late battle with eventual winner Erik Jones. He finished in eighth place in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway and capped off his 14-race stint at BKR with four top-five results, seven top-10 results and his first two career poles.

    In 2014, Chastain competed in his first seven NASCAR Xfinity Series races along with three Truck Series races. He competed between Viva Motorsports, Hattori Racing Enterprises and TriStar Motorsports in the Xfinity circuit, with his best result being 10th place at Kentucky Speedway in September. He competed between RBR Enterprises and Win-Tron Racing in the Truck Series, with his best result being 11th place at Homestead in November.

    For the 2015 season, Chastain was named a full-time competitor for JD Motorsports in the Xfinity Series. Making 31 starts in JDM’s No. 4 Chevrolet Camaro and two in JDM’s No. 01 Chevrolet Camaro, Chastain achieved four top-10 results and a career-best result of ninth place at Daytona in February. He concluded the season in 15th place in the final standings.

    Between 2016 and 2017, Chastain continued to drive for JD Motorsports and the No. 4 Chevrolet on a full-time basis in the Xfinity Series. Following the 2016 season, he surpassed 100 starts across NASCAR’s three major division series. He finished 15th in the final standings in 2016 and 16th in 2017. Between June and July 2017, Chastain achieved back-to-back top-10 results, which included a career-best fourth-place result at Iowa Speedway. He also made a total of eight starts in the Truck Series with Bolen Motorsports, where his best result was seventh place at Martinsville Speedway in April. In addition, he made his first two NASCAR Cup Series career starts in both Dover International Speedway races while driving for Premium Motorsports. He finished 20th in his debut at the Monster Mile in June and 38th in his second start in October.

    The 2018 season was an eventful season for Chastain, who made 34 starts in the Cup Series, 33 starts in the Xfinity Series and seven starts in the Truck Series. In the Truck circuit, he made a total of seven starts between Beaver Motorsports, Premium Motorsports and Niece Motorsports. His best result was seventh place at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in September. In the Cup circuit, he competed in 34 of 36 races with Premium Motorsports. His best results were an 18th-place result at Texas Motor Speedway in April and a 20th-place result at Las Vegas in September.

    For the first 23 Xfinity Series of the season, Chastain recorded one top-five result and six top-10 results, all while during his fourth season with JD Motorsports. Then, in September, Chastain made his first of three starts in the No. 42 DC Solar Chevrolet Camaro for Chip Ganassi Racing led by crew chief Mike Shiplett at Darlington Raceway. During the main event, Chastain started on pole position for the first time in his career, led a race-high 90 laps and won the first two stages. His strong run, however, was spoiled following a late on-track incident with Kevin Harvick as Chastain ended his race in 25th place. Competing the following race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for JD Motorsports, Chastain returned to the No. 42 team at Las Vegas in September seeking redemption. During the main event, Chastain dominated again as he won the first two stages and led a race-high 180 laps. This time, Chastain sealed the deal after beating Justin Allgaier to achieve his first career win across NASCAR’s three major division series. His first Xfinity career win, which occurred in his 132nd series start and also occurred in the regular-season finale at Vegas, was enough for the Floridian to secure a spot in the 2018 Xfinity Playoffs as he introduced his celebratory trademark by smashing a watermelon.

    During his first run in the Xfinity Playoffs, Chastain went on to finish in second place at Richmond in September, which also marked his final start with Chip Ganassi Racing. Returning to JD Motorsports, he finished 12th at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval and 13th at Dover. When the dust settled, Chastain was beaten by Matt Tifft for the final transfer spot to the Round of 8 by three points. He went on to conclude the season in a career-best 10th place in the final standings as he also achieved a career-high three top-five results, eight top-10 results and 272 laps led. Following the 2018 season, he surpassed 200 career starts across NASCAR.

    In November 2018, it was announced that Chastain would compete in the No. 42 DC Solar Chevrolet Camaro for Chip Ganassi Racing on a full-time basis for the 2019 Xfinity Series season. The announcement came a month after Chastain revealed plans to compete in the Cup Series for Premium Motorsports. However, the team ceased operations in January when DC Solar was raided by the FBI. Fortunately, Chastain was picked up by Niece Motorsports to compete in the Truck Series on a part-time basis led by crew chief Phil Gould and by JD Motorsports for 30 Xfinity races. In addition, he signed a three-race deal to pilot the No. 10 Nutrien Ag Solutions Chevrolet Camaro for Kaulig Racing.

    Competing in all three series’ openers at Daytona International Speedway, Chastain finished third in the Truck Series with Niece Motorsports, 13th in the Xfinity Series with Kaulig Racing after winning the second stage and 10th in his first Daytona 500 start with Premium Motorsports. Through the beginning of June, Chastain competed in the first 12 Xfinity races and recorded a best result of seventh place at Las Vegas in March. He also competed in the first eight Truck races with Niece Motorsports, achieving top-10 results in all of his starts and collecting his first Truck career win at Kansas Speedway in May following a late pass on Stewart Friesen. To cap off his eventful start to this season, he competed in the first 14 Cup races with Premium Motorsports.

    On June 4, Chastain declared himself a full-time Truck Series competitor to contend for points and the series title with Niece Motorsports. In order to achieve his goal of making the Playoffs, he would have to win again throughout the regular-season stretch and be scored inside the top 20 in the standings. After finishing in 10th place at Texas Motor Speedway following his announcement, Chastain achieved his second victory of the season at Iowa Speedway following a dominating performance. Following the race, however, Chastain was disqualified due to his truck failing post-race technical inspection and NASCAR awarded the win to runner-up finisher Brett Moffitt. Chastain’s disqualification from winning was a first in NASCAR since Emanuel Zervakis was disqualified from winning at North Carolina’s Wilson Speedway in April 1960 due to an oversized fuel tank.

    Chastain rebounded the following race with vengeance after scoring a late win at Gateway’s World Wide Technology Raceway and collecting a $50,000 for winning a Triple Truck Challenge race. This time, Chastain’s win at Gateway was ruled official. After finishing seventh at Chicagoland Speedway and fourth at Kentucky Speedway the following two races, Chastain made himself Playoff eligible after moving into the top 20 in the standings. The following race, he achieved his third victory of his career/season at Pocono Raceway and he entered the postseason as a title favorite. During the Playoffs, Chastain achieved three top-five results and five top-10 results as he made the Championship Round at Homestead-Miami Speedway. During the finale, however, he finished fourth at Homestead and fell short of his first NASCAR championship to Matt Crafton. Despite the final outcome, he logged in a successful season in the Truck circuit, where he recorded three wins, a pole, 10 top-five results, 19 top-10 results, an average result of 8.6 and 591 laps led before concluding the season in a career-best second place. In the end, he was named the 2019 Truck Most Popular Driver.

    Chastain’s on-track success in 2019 did not only come from the Truck Series. At Daytona in July, while piloting Kaulig Racing’s No. 16 Ellsworth Advisors Chevrolet Camaro, Chastain led a 1-2-3 finish for the team across the line as he achieved his first victory at Daytona, second of his Xfinity career and the first NASCAR win for Kaulig Racing. Despite teammate A.J. Allmendinger being disqualified from third place for failing post-race technical inspection, Chastain’s victory and teammate Justin Haley’s runner-up result were deemed official by NASCAR. He made a total of seven additional Xfinity starts since June, where he also finished in second place at Texas in November behind Christopher Bell while driving for Kaulig. Overall, he capped off the 2019 Xfinity season with a win, a pole, two top-five results and eight top-10 results between JD Motorsports and Kaulig Racing.

    On the Cup side, Chastain made 35 starts in the No. 15 Chevrolet for Premium Motorsports. His best results were a 10th-place result at the Daytona 500 in February and a 12th-place result at Talladega Superspeedway in October.

    In total, Chastain made 77 starts across NASCAR’s three major division series in 2019. Early into the season, he broke Kyle Busch’s record in competing in the most consecutive races across all three series to start a season. Following the 2019 season, he surpassed 300 career starts across NASCAR.

    Three months after winning at Daytona, Chastain was named a full-time competitor of the No. 10 Nutrien Ag Solutions Chevrolet Camaro for Kaulig Racing led by crew chief Bruce Schlicker for the 2020 Xfinity Series season. Prior to the 2020 season, he also planned to compete in select Truck Series races with Niece Motorsports and in the No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE sponsored by AdventHealth in the Cup Series for the Daytona 500 and the Coca-Cola 600. His No. 77 ride was under a partnership between Spire Motorsports and Chip Ganassi Racing.

    Chastain started the 2020 season by finishing in eighth place in the Truck opener at Daytona with Niece Motorsports. For the Xfinity opener, however, he initially failed to qualify for the event, along with teammate A.J. Allmendinger, due to mechanical issues. Nonetheless, he was able to compete when veteran Jeff Green relinquished his seat at RSS Racing. Chastain went on to finish 22nd in the Xfinity opener. For the Daytona 500, he made a late charge to the front until he was involved in a multi-car accident and settled in 25th place.

    Through September 2, Chastain has made eight starts in the Truck Series with Niece Motorsports and has recorded one top-five result and five top-10 results. He has also made seven Cup starts between Spire Motorsports and Roush Fenway Racing, where he served as an interim competitor for the injured Ryan Newman. His best results in the series include a 16th-place run at Daytona in August and a pair of 17th-place results at Auto Club Speedway in March and at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July.

    Through the first 22 Xfinity Series races of this season and as a full-time competitor, Chastain has recorded one stage win, two Dash 4 Cash $100,000 bonuses, nine top-five results and 19 top-10 results. He is currently in third place in the Xfinity regular-season standings and is 420 points above the top-12 cutline to make the Playoffs and with four regular-season races remaining. Thus far, his average result is 8.8.

    While Chastain is set to compete in this weekend’s Xfinity and Cup races at Darlington, he will also be sporting a special white, red, blue and gold paint scheme to his No. 77 Spire Motorsports/Dirty Mo Media Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE on the Cup side while paying tribute to the late NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt and his 1976 Hy-Gain Chevy.

    Catch Chastain’s milestone start on Sunday, September 6, at Darlington Raceway for the Cook Out Southern 500, which will occur at 6 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

  • Annett to reach 400 starts across NASCAR at Darlington

    Annett to reach 400 starts across NASCAR at Darlington

    A significant milestone is in the making for Michael Annett, driver of the No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro for JR Motorsports in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. When Annett takes the green flag this weekend at Darlington Raceway, he will achieve 400 starts across NASCAR’s three major division series (Truck, Xfinity and Cup Series).

    A native of Des Moines, Iowa, who achieved two ARCA career victories from 2007 and 2008, Annett made his debut within NASCAR’s top three division series at the Milwaukee Mile in June 2008, where he piloted the No. 22 Toyota Tundra for Bill Davis Racing in the NASCAR Truck Series. He finished in sixth place in his series debut and two races later, he earned a career-best runner-up result at Kentucky Speedway. He made a total of eight starts in the Truck Series in 2008 (seven with Bill Davis Racing and one with Germain Racing). He also made his NASCAR Xfinity Series debut in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway in November, where he drove the No. 03 Toyota for Germain Racing and finished 36th.

    In 2009, Annett campaigned on a full-time basis in the Xfinity Series as a rookie candidate and in the No. 15 Toyota Camry led by crew chief Bruce Cook for Germain Racing. Throughout his rookie season, Annett achieved four top-10 results (best result of sixth place at Auto Club Speedway in October) and he concluded the season in 10th place in the final standings. He remained with Germain Racing for the 2010 Xfinity season, where he achieved two top-10 results and concluded the season in 13th place in the final standings and with crew chief Ryan “Rudy” Fugle.

    In 2011, Annett moved to Rusty Wallace Racing to pilot the No. 62 Toyota Camry with primary sponsorship from Pilot Flying J and led by crew chief Rick Viers in the Xfinity Series. For the first 13 races of the season, he finished no higher than 13th place. For five of the next six races, however, he achieved five top-10 results. He nearly won at Daytona International Speedway in July after taking the lead on the final lap with two corners remaining. He, however, lost the draft with teammate Steve Wallace and settled in sixth place. For the final 15 races of the season, he achieved two additional top-10 results and he concluded the season in ninth place in the final standings. By then, he surpassed 100 career starts across NASCAR’s three major division series.

    For the 2012 season and after Rusty Wallace Racing ceased operations due to lack of sponsorship, Annett made the move to Richard Petty Motorsports to drive the No. 43 Ford Mustang sponsored by Pilot Flying J and led by crew chief Philippe Lopez. Annett had a successful run in the series, where he achieved his first six top-five career results, led by a pair of third-place results at Daytona International Speedway in July and at Dover International Speedway in September. He also earned a total of 17 top-10 results and he claimed the Dash 4 Cash $100,000 bonus at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in July following a sixth-place result. When the season concluded, he ended up with a career-best fifth place in the final standings.

    Annett started off the 2013 Xfinity season on a rough note, when he was involved in a late multi-car accident in the season opener at Daytona and had dislocated and fractured his sternum. Missing the first eight races of the season and while Aric Almirola and Reed Sorenson filled in for Annett, he returned at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May, where he finished 17th. For the remainder of the season, he achieved one top-five result and a total of four top-10 results before he concluded the season in 15th place in the final standings.

    Following a five-year run in the Xfinity Series, Annett moved up to the NASCAR Cup Series in 2014 and he entered the series as a rookie candidate in the No. 7 Pilot Flying J Chevrolet SS for Tommy Baldwin Racing led by veteran Kevin “Bono” Manion. Making his series debut at the Daytona 500, Annett was involved in a late multi-car wreck and finished in 37th place. Throughout the 36-race stretch, Annett only achieved four top-20 results and he concluded the season in 33rd place in the final standings. He also competed in the NASCAR Truck Series race at Eldora Speedway for NTS Motorsports, where he raced his way into the main event following a final qualifying race and finished 25th. By then, he surpassed 200 career starts across NASCAR.

    The following season, Annett remained in the Cup Series, but he made the move to HScott Motorsports to pilot the team’s second car, the No. 46 Pilot Flying J Chevrolet SS, led by crew chief Jay Guy. Annett achieved a career-best result of 13th place in the Daytona 500. The following week, however, Annett initially failed to qualify for the upcoming race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Nonetheless, Annett still got to race at Atlanta when Brian Scott relinquished his seat, the No. 33 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet SS, since Annett was competing for Cup points. Driving under the Hillman-Circle Sport LLC banner, Annett finished 29th. The remaining 34 races of the season, however, was a disappointing one as Annett finished no higher than 23rd place and he concluded the season in 36th place in the final standings. He also failed to qualify at Talladega Superspeedway in October.

    Returning for a third season in the Cup circuit with Hscott Motorsports in 2016, Annett’s best result throughout the 36-race schedule was 20th, which occurred at Daytona in July. At Bristol Motor Speedway in August, Justin Allgaier filled in as an interim competitor when Annett suffered from flu-like symptoms. Prior to the season concluding, Annett declared himself a free agent for the 2017 season.

    After three seasons in the Cup Series, Annett scaled back down to the Xfinity Series for the 2017 season and joined forces with JR Motorsports to pilot the No. 5 Chevrolet Camaro sponsored by Pilot Flying J, TMC Transportation and Allstate Parts & Service Group, and led by crew chief Jason Stockert. Annett started the season with a 14th-place run at Daytona followed by a 15th-place run at Atlanta. Two races later, he achieved his first top-10 result of the season at Phoenix (ninth place). Through the first 22 races of the season, Annett recorded a total of five top-10 results. At Road America in August, Annett achieved a career-best runner-up result behind Jeremy Clements. Following his result, Annett dedicated his run to Adam Wright, a mechanic at JR Motorsports who died in a car accident a week prior to Road America. Annett went on to make the 2017 Xfinity Series Playoffs before he was eliminated from title contention at Charlotte Motor Speedway in October. He wrapped up the season in ninth place in the final standings and with seven top-10 results. By then, he surpassed 300 career starts across NASCAR.

    Returning for a second full-time season with JRM in 2018, Annett struggled with on-track consistency. For the first 21 races of the season, he finished no higher than 11th. A week later, he recorded his first top-10 result at Bristol in August. By then, he was paired with new crew chief Travis Mack. He only achieved one additional top-10 result (10th place at Darlington Raceway) throughout the regular-season stretch while he also recorded five DNFs. Following the regular-season finale at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in September, Annett failed to make the Playoffs. He went on to conclude the season in 14th place in the final standings.

    For the 2019 Xfinity season, Annett remained at JRM, but assumed driving responsibilities of the No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro with crew chief Travis Mack remaining with Annett. To start the season and with American Heart Association co-sponsoring the No. 1 car along with Pilot Flying J, Annett responded back to all of his past struggles throughout his career by winning the season opener at Daytona and achieving his first victory across NASCAR’s three major series in his 230th Xfinity career start. The victory guaranteed Annett’s No. 1 team a spot in the Playoffs. His early success did not stop there as he recorded a total of five top-five results and 15 top-10 results throughout the 26-race regular-season stretch. He also achieved his first career pole at Talladega in April. During the Playoffs, Annett earned finishes of ninth, 15th and sixth in the first round, spanning three races, to advance to the Round of 8. He finished fourth, 11th and ninth in the second round, but he failed to transfer to the Championship Round at Homestead. He concluded the season with an 11th-place run at Homestead and a ninth-place result in the final standings. Though he fell short of the 2019 Xfinity title, Annett achieved a career-high six top-five results, 19 top-10 results and 94 laps led throughout the season.

    This season, his fourth consecutive season with JRM, Annett started off the season with an 11th-place run at Daytona and after being involved in a multi-car accident on the final lap. Through the first 22 races of this season, he has recorded three top-five results and 13 top-10 results, and he is in eighth place in the regular-season standings. He has also started on pole position for three consecutive races in the summer (Texas, Kansas and Road America) by virtue of a random draw amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

    In addition to making his ninth Xfinity career start at Darlington this weekend and while he continues to secure one of 12 spots for this year’s Xfinity Playoffs, Annett is set to sport a special Oreo scheme to his No. 1 Chevrolet Camaro that his boss and former NASCAR star Dale Earnhardt Jr. drove to an Xfinity win at Daytona in February 2002.

    Catch Annett’s milestone start at Darlington Raceway on Saturday, September 5, at 12:30 p.m. ET on NBC.

  • Newman to make 750th start across NASCAR at Daytona

    Newman to make 750th start across NASCAR at Daytona

    A significant milestone is in the making for veteran Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 6 Ford Mustang for Roush Fenway Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series, as he battles for a spot in this year’s Playoffs. When the green flag waves in the upcoming Cup race at Daytona International Speedway, Newman will achieve 750 starts across NASCAR’s three major division series (Truck, Xfinity and Cup Series).

    A native of South Bend, Indiana, who started his racing career in the United Midget Auto Racing Association and the All-American Midget Series before moving to USAC, Newman achieved three ARCA victories while driving for team owner Roger Penske in 2000 before he made his first NASCAR start at Phoenix in the Cup Series in November 2000. Driving the No. 02 Alltel Ford for Penske led by crew chief Matt Borland, Newman started 10th and finished 41st due to an engine failure.

    In 2001, while Newman was pursuing his B.S. degree in engineering at Purdue University, he competed in 15 Xfinity Series events and seven Cup Series events for Penske. In the Xfinity side, he achieved his first career win at Michigan International Speedway in August. He also earned six poles, two top-five results, eight top-10 results and an average result of 12.6. In the Cup side, he achieved his first career pole for the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte’s Lowe’s Motor Speedway in May. Despite a strong start, where he led the first 10 laps, he wrecked in Turn 3 the following lap and retired in last place of the 43-car field. Overall, he earned two top-five results, including a career-best runner-up finish at Kansas Speedway in September behind Jeff Gordon, in seven Cup starts.

    In 2002, Newman graduated to a full-time driving role for Penske and in the No. 12 Alltel Ford for Penske led by Borland. Through the first 11 races, Newman earned a pole and four top-10 results, including a second-place finish at Richmond in May. The following race, which was The Winston (All-Star Race) at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, Newman was one of two competitors to transfer to the main event from The Winston Open after winning the No Bull 5 Sprint. In a five-lap shootout in the main event, Newman held off Dale Earnhardt Jr. to win The Winston and a total of $750,000. He became the first Cup competitor to win The Winston after transferring from the Open since Michael Waltrip made the last accomplishment in 1996 and the first to do so from the No Bull 5 Sprint. From the Coca-Cola 600 in May through Richmond in September, Newman earned 11 top-10 results and four runner-up finishes. The following race at New Hampshire, Newman achieved his first Cup career win in his 35th series start. For the final nine races of the 2002 season, Newman earned five six top-10 results and three poles before he concluded the season in sixth place in the final standings. In the end, Newman emerged as the Rookie-of-the-Year recipient over Jimmie Johnson with 14 top-five results and 22 top-10 results. His six poles were the most achieved by a rookie competitor.

    Newman started off the 2003 season on a rough note by flipping in the Daytona 500 in February following contact with Ken Schrader. It took until Texas Motor Speedway in April for Newman to achieve his first victory of the season and the second of his Cup career. The 2003 Cup season was an up-and-down season for the Indiana native. The pros to the season were the driver of the No. 12 Alltel/Penske Dodge achieving a season-high eight victories (winning at tracks like Dover, Chicagoland, Pocono, Michigan, Richmond and Kansas), 17 top-five results and 22 top-10 results. In addition, Newman earned a season-high 11 poles and was nicknamed “The Rocket Man” for his strong qualifying efforts and pole awards. The downside to Newman’s sophomore season was that he earned seven DNFs, including his flip at Daytona and after triggering a vicious 27-car wreck in the early laps at Talladega in April when he blew a tire in the middle of the pack, made hard contact against the Turn 1 outside wall and nearly flipped. He went on to conclude the season in sixth place in the final standings.

    Throughout the 2004 NASCAR Cup Series season, Newman won two races (Michigan in June and Dover in September) and recorded nine poles. He also earned 11 top-five results and 14 top-10 results as he was one of 10 competitors to make the inaugural postseason battle in the Cup Series. He concluded the season in seventh-place in the final standings. Prior to the conclusion of the 2004 season, Newman surpassed 100 starts across NASCAR’s three major division series.

    In 2005, Newman remained as a full-time competitor of the No. 12 Alltel/Penske Dodge in the Cup Series while he also competed in nine Xfinity Series races in the No. 39 Alltel/Penske Dodge. Throughout the 2005 Cup season, he won only one race (New Hampshire in September) and he earned eight poles, eight top-five results and 16 top-10 results. In addition, he made the Playoffs and concluded the season in sixth place in the final standings for the third time in his career. In nine Xfinity starts, he won six races, including the season finale at Homestead while also winning at Watkins Glen, Michigan, Bristol, Dover and Charlotte.

    In 2006, Newman remained as a full-time competitor of the No. 12 Alltel/Penske Dodge in the Cup Series while he also competed in six Xfinity races in the No. 39 Mobil 1/Alltel/Penske Dodge. The 2006 Cup season was a down season for the Indiana native, who went winless and only earned two poles, two top-five results and seven top-10 results. In addition, he missed the Playoffs and concluded the season in 18th place in the final standings. His best result in the Xfinity Series was a runner-up finish at Auto Club Speedway in February. Following 2006, Newman surpassed 200 starts across NASCAR’s three major division series.

    Throughout the 2007 Cup season, Newman achieved five poles, seven top-five results and 15 top-10 results before he concluded the Cup season in 13th place. He also made eight Xfinity starts, where he earned two top-five results and three top-10 results. In 2008, Newman received a draft from teammate Kurt Busch to pass Tony Stewart on the final lap and win the 50th running of the Daytona 500. The victory was Newman’s 13th of his Cup career, it snapped his winless drought dating back to September 2005 and it was the first Daytona 500 win for team owner Roger Penske. Despite winning the 500, Newman only achieved one more top-five results, one pole and a total of eight top-10 results before he concluded the season in 17th place in the final standings. Throughout the season, he made two Xfinity starts (Watkins Glen in the No. 22 FitzBradshaw Racing and at Homestead in the No. 33 Chevrolet for Kevin Harvick Inc.). He also made his NASCAR Truck Series debut at Atlanta Motor Speedway in October while driving the No. 2 Chevrolet Silverado for KHI, which he won following a late battle with NASCAR Hall of Famer Ron Hornaday Jr. To August 2020, Newman is one of 33 competitors to achieve a win across NASCAR’s three major division series. Following 2008, he also surpassed 300 starts across NASCAR’s three major division series.

    Midway into the 2008 season, Newman announced his departure from Penske to drive for the newly formed Stewart-Haas Racing in 2009. Driving the No. 39 U.S. Army/Haas Automation Chevrolet for SHR with support from crew chief Tony Gibson, Newman finished 36th in his first start with SHR. Though he did not record a victory, the 26-race regular-season stretch was a consistent run for Newman as he achieved 12 top-10 results and made the 2009 Playoffs along with teammate/owner Tony Stewart, which marked his first appearance in the Playoffs since 2005. At Talladega in October, he was involved in a harrowing accident in the closing laps when he was sent airborne and landed upside down on Kevin Harvick’s hood before he slid across and down the banking on his roof and flipped once before he came to rest on his roof. He was able to emerged uninjured. For the final 10 races, he earned three more top-10 results and concluded the season in ninth place in the final standings. Throughout the 2009 season, he made 10 Xfinity starts between the No. 33 Chevrolet for Kevin Harvick Inc., the No. 5 Chevrolet for JR Motorsports and the No. 1 Chevrolet for Phoenix Racing. His best run was at Talladega in April, where he started on pole and was in prime position of winning before he was edged by David Ragan at the finish line. He also made two Truck starts in the No. 2 Chevrolet for Kevin Harvick Inc. as he finished in fourth place in both races.

    Through the first six races of the 2010 Cup season, Newman finished no higher than fourth place. The following race at Phoenix, Newman, sporting the Tornados Ruiz Foods colors on his car and racing on two fresh tires on a two-lap shootout, overtook Jeff Gordon for the lead and held off Gordon to win as he achieved his first victory since the 2008 Daytona 500 and his first with Stewart-Haas Racing. He also recorded the first victory for veteran crew chief Tony Gibson. Though he missed the Playoffs and concluded the season in 15th place in the final standings, Newman and the No. 39 Chevrolet team achieved 12 additional top-10 results and a pole. He also made 12 Xfinity starts, all with Phoenix Racing, and he earned seven top-10 results.

    Throughout the 26-race regular-season stretch of the 2011 Cup season, Newman won one race (New Hampshire in July) and earned 13 top-10 results as he made the Playoffs for the fourth time in his career. For the remaining 10 races of the season in the Playoffs, Newman recorded four additional top-10 results and concluded the season in 10th place in the final standings while Tony Stewart went on to win his third Cup championship. Newman also competed in one Xfinity event and one Truck event throughout 2011, both with Turner Motorsports. Following 2011, he surpassed 400 starts.

    After finishing in the top 10 in two of the first five Cup races in 2012, Newman, sporting the Outback Steakhouse colors on his No. 39 SHR Chevrolet, made a late pass for the at Martinsville Speedway in April following a restart collision that knocked out Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Clint Bowyer, and he went on to win following a late battle with A.J. Allmendinger. Throughout the season, he earned six top-five results and 14 top-10 results before he concluded the season in 14th place in the standings while missing the Playoffs for the second time in the last four seasons. He also made one Xfinity start at Texas in November with Turner Motorsports, where he finished 19th.

    For the first 19 races of the 2013 Cup season, Newman earned eight top-10 results. The following race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, his home track, he started off the weekend by achieving his 50th Cup career pole. On race day, he and crew chief Matt Borland opted for a two-tire pit stop in the closing laps to beat Jimmie Johnson and achieve his first victory of the season at Indianapolis in front of a home crowd. For the next five Cup races, Newman earned two additional top-five results. At Richmond in September, he took the lead late in the race and was in position of claiming a second victory and qualifying for the Playoffs when Clint Bowyer spun late in the race. Following an ensuing pit stop, where Newman exited in fifth place, he made his way up to third place, but he missed the Playoffs in a tiebreaker with Martin Truex Jr., Bowyer’s teammate. A few days later, however, Newman replaced Truex in the Playoffs along with Jeff Gordon after NASCAR determined that Bowyer’s spin was intentional in an effort for Truex to make the Playoffs and place two Michael Waltrip Racing cars in the postseason. He went on to achieve six additional top-10 results before he concluded the season in 11th place in the final standings. He also competed in the inaugural Truck Series race at Eldora Speedway, where he finished in third place. Following 2013, Newman surpassed 500 starts.

    After five seasons with Stewart-Haas Racing, Newman joined forces with Richard Childress Racing to drive the No. 31 Caterpillar/Quicken Loans Chevrolet SS led by crew chief Luke Lambert in 2014 while SHR expanded to a four-car operation as Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch joined the organization. He finished 22nd in his first start with RCR in the Daytona 500 and went on to achieve nine top-10 results throughout the 26-race regular-season stretch to make the Playoffs. For the first eight races in the Playoffs, he earned five top-10 results. At Phoenix in November, Newman made a heroic bump and last lap pass on rookie Kyle Larson to finish in 11th place and earn a spot in the Championship Round at Homestead. At Homestead, he finished second on track and in the final standings to race winner and the champion Kevin Harvick. Overall, he earned five top-five results and 16 top-10 results in his first season with RCR and the runner-up result in the standings was his best in his 13th full-time season in the Cup Series.

    Throughout the 2015 and 2016 Cup seasons, Newman earned seven top-five results and 25 top-10 results while achieving a best points result of 11th place in 2015. He also made one Truck start at Kansas in May in the No. 8 NEMCO Motorsports Chevrolet, where he finished second. Following 2016, Newman surpassed 600 starts. In 2017, following the first three races, Newman and crew chief Luke Lambert gambled in the closing laps by remaining on track on old tires with the lead. In a two-lap shootout, Newman held off Larson to win his first Cup race since the 2013 Brickyard 400 and his first with RCR. He concluded the 2017 season with a total of seven top-five results, 13 top-10 results and a 16th-place result in the final standings along with his Phoenix win.

    After five seasons with Richard Childress Racing and coming off a disappointing 2018 season, where he only earned nine top-10 results and concluded the season in 17th place in the final standings, Newman moved to Roush Fenway Racing to pilot the iconic No. 6 Ford Mustang in the 2019 Cup Series season led by crew chief Scott Graves. Newman finished 14th in his first race with RFR in the Daytona 500 and he earned nine top-10 results throughout the 26-race regular-season stretch to make the Playoffs. Following finishes of 10th, fifth and 32nd in the first round (three races) of the Playoffs, he was eliminated from title contention. He went on to earn three additional top-10 results and conclude the season in 15th place in the final standings. Following 2019, Newman surpassed 700 starts across NASCAR’s three major division series.

    This season, Newman started off 19th full-time season in the Cup Series on a harrowing note. He was in prime position of winning his second Daytona 500 entering the frontstretch until a bump from Blaney turned Newman’s No. 6 Ford across the track and into the outside wall, where he flipped upside down and was hit on the driver’s side by an oncoming Corey LaJoie. The impact launched Newman into the air and across the finish line in ninth place before he came to rest on his roof with oil leaking and flames bursting out of his car. Following the accident, Newman was transported to a local hospital in Florida, where he sustained serious but non life-threatening injuries. Nearly two days after his accident, Newman walked out of the hospital while holding the hands of his daughters. With Newman recovering from a head injury, Ross Chastain drove Newman’s No. 6 car in three races.

    In May, when NASCAR returned to on-track racing in the midst of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Newman was medically cleared to return to racing. He achieved a pair of top-15 results in his first two races back since his injuries at Darlington Raceway. He went on to earn six additional top-15 results in 22 starts through the first 25 Cup races of this season. He is currently ranked in 25th place in the regular-season standings, 245 points below the top-16 cutline, and is in a “must-win” scenario to make the 2020 Cup Playoffs.

    Catch Newman’s milestone start and final bid to make the 2020 Cup Playoffs at Daytona on Saturday, August 29, at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC.

  • Wallace to make 100th Cup start at Dover

    Wallace to make 100th Cup start at Dover

    A major milestone is in the making for Bubba Wallace, driver of the No. 43 Richard Petty Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE and NASCAR’s current lone African-American competitor in the Cup Series. When the green flag waves on Saturday, August 22, at Dover International Speedway, Wallace will reach 100 starts in the sport’s premier series and in his third full-time season competing against NASCAR’s elite.

    A native of Mobile, Alabama, Wallace was already a rising star in NASCAR entering June 2017, having won six ARCA Menards Series East races and five NASCAR Truck Series races while competing in his third season in the Xfinity Series with Roush Fenway Racing. By then, Aric Almirola was in his sixth season as driver of the No. 43 Smithfield Ford Fusion for Richard Petty Motorsports.

    When Almirola was injured and diagnosed with a compression fracture of his T5 vertebrae after being involved in a vicious multi-car accident at Kansas Speedway in May, Richard Petty Motorsports named Wallace as an interim competitor of the No. 43 Smithfield Ford, beginning at Pocono Raceway in June. Wallace’s interim role at Pocono not only marked his Cup debut, but he also became the first African-American competitor to compete in the Cup Series since Bill Lester made the last accomplishment in 2006. At Pocono, Wallace qualified 16th and finished 26th in his Cup debut after being hampered with a handful of pit road speeding penalties. Following the race, where he congratulated his longtime friend, fellow competitor and first-time winner Ryan Blaney, Wallace passed out and required medical attention.

    Wallace made three additional starts in 2017 in the No. 43 car at Michigan International Speedway in June, Daytona International Speedway and at Kentucky Speedway (both in July). His best results during those three races were a 15th-place result at Daytona and an 11th-place result at Kentucky. The following race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Almirola was medically cleared to return to competition and Wallace was left without a full-time ride for the remainder of the season after his Xfinity ride at Roush Fenway Racing was terminated due to sponsorship issues. He made one start in the Truck Series at Michigan in August, where he won driving for MDM Motorsports, and one additional start in the Xfinity Series at Chicagoland Speedway in September, where he finished 10th driving for Biagi-DenBeste Racing.

    In mid-October, amid months of speculation, NASCAR Hall of Famer and team owner Richard Petty named Bubba Wallace as a full-time competitor of the No. 43 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for the 2018 NASCAR Cup Series season, which Wallace entered as a Rookie-of-the-Year candidate as he also became the first African-American competitor to compete on a full-time basis in the Cup Series since the late NASCAR Hall of Famer Wendell Scott made the last accomplishment in 1971.

    Wallace made his first start in the No. 43 Chevrolet in the first of two Can-Am Duel races at Daytona International Speedway in February, where he dodged a handful of on-track incidents to finish in third place behind race winner Blaney and Joey Logano. Wallace’s third-place result in the duel event earned him the seventh-place starting spot for the 60th running of the Daytona 500 three days later. Prior to the 500, Wallace received support from a number of star athletes, including Super Bowl XLV champion Charles Woodson, Baseball Hall of Famer Hank Aaron and Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton. During the Daytona 500, Wallace made a late charge and edged Denny Hamlin by a nose to finish in second place behind race winner Austin Dillon. Though he did not win the race, he won the hearts of fans over his strong performance and he cherished the result during his post-race press conference by sharing a tearful hug with his mother and family. Wallace also became the highest-finishing African-American competitor in the Daytona 500, eclipsing the previous record made by Scott’s 13th-place result in 1966.

    Following his historic run in the Daytona 500, Wallace finished no higher than 20th place in the next five Cup races before he earned his second top-10 career finish (eighth-place) at Texas Motor Speedway. The following race at Bristol Motor Speedway, Wallace had a historic run in the making when he took the lead from Brad Keselowski on Lap 375 of 500 and led his first six laps in the Cup Series and in a blue and orange No. 43 STP Chevrolet that mirrored the scheme Richard Petty sported when he dominated stock car racing in the past. Though Wallace was primed for a strong result at Bristol, he ended his race with a disappointing 16th-place finish following handling issues. For the remainder of his rookie Cup season, Wallace earned one additional top-10 result (10th at Phoenix) and was beaten by William Byron for the Rookie-of-the-Year title. Overall, Wallace earned one top-five result, three top-10 results and an average result of 24.5 throughout the 36-race schedule before he concluded the season in 28th place in the final standings.

    Wallace started off the 2019 season with lead engineer Derek Stamets as his new crew chief following Blickensderfer’s departure from RPM to Front Row Motorsports. For the first 12 Cup races of the season, Wallace finished no higher than 17th place (Martinsville in March). The following race, which was the Monster Energy Open at Charlotte Motor Speedway, was where Wallace flexed his muscles after he fended off a late charge from Daniel Suarez to win the second of three stages in the Open and transfer to his first All-Star Race of his career. Wallace’s success continued during the main event, where he finished in fifth place. His other success to the 2019 season occurred at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, where he dodged a series of carnages to finish in third place behind race winner Kevin Harvick and Logano. The third-place result marked his first top-five result since finishing second in the 2018 Daytona 500 and the second crown-jewel event where he earned a podium result. Wallace, however, recorded four additional top-15 results before he concluded the season in 28th place in the final standings and with an average result of 23.9.

    This season, Wallace reunited with veteran crew chief Jerry Baxter, who won five Truck races with Wallace in 2013 and 2014 with Kyle Busch Motorsports. Wallace started off the season by finishing 15th in the Daytona 500. He rebounded the following race by finishing in sixth place at Las Vegas Motor Speedway after opting to remain on track on old tires for a two-lap shootout to the finish. He went on to finish 27th and 19th in the next two Cup races before COVID-19 paused this year’s racing season through May. By then, Wallace was in 18th place in the regular-season standings.

    Since the return of racing at Darlington Raceway in May through last weekend at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course, Wallace has earned three additional top-10 results, seven additional top-15 results and an average result of 19.8. He is currently in 21st place in the regular-season standings and is 165 points below the top-16 cutline to make this year’s Cup Playoffs. He has yet to announce his racing plans for next season and beyond.

    In addition to his competitiveness on the track, Wallace, this season, has become the face of NASCAR’s involvement in the Black Lives Matter movement and speaking out on the abuse of African Americans by the police. At Martinsville Speedway, he sported a special black scheme on his No. 43 Chevrolet that featured the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter and the phrase “Compassion, Love, Understanding.” Shortly after at Talladega Superspeedway, where a noose was discovered in Wallace’s garage stall, all the competitors and crew members joined Wallace to the front of the pit road in a show of solidarity through the national anthem and prior to the race. Despite the incident being determined that Wallace was not a target of a hate crime and the backlash that followed suit towards the competitor of the iconic No. 43 car, Wallace vows to continue to maintain his stance against his doubters and race towards history both on and off the track.

    Catch Wallace’s milestone start on August 22 at Dover at 4 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

  • Grala notches top-10 result in Cup debut at Daytona RC

    Grala notches top-10 result in Cup debut at Daytona RC

    Perhaps, there was no competitor who left the inaugural Go Bowling 235 at the Daytona International Speedway Road Course beaming more than Kaz Grala. The 21-year-old native from Boston, Massachusetts, received a lifetime opportunity on Sunday, August 16, to pilot the iconic No. 3 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE for Richard Childress Racing as an interim competitor for Austin Dillon, who was absent after testing positive for COVID-19 symptoms a day earlier. Following a consistent run at Daytona, where he started at the rear of the field and was running towards the front in the closing laps, Grala ended his race with a seventh-place result and in his first run in a NASCAR Cup Series car.

    The No. 3 American Ethanol/RCR Chevrolet was due to start in 10th place with Dillon behind the wheel. With Dillon absent after being diagnosed with COVID-19 symptoms, however, Grala started the race at the rear of the field due to a driver change. For the first 15 laps and throughout the first stage, he remained within the top 30 before he settled in 32nd place. Throughout the second stage, Grala continued to carve his way towards the front, but he settled in 24th following a late pit stop under green.

    Following a rain delay in the early portions of the final stage and a pit stop prior to the restart, the final 26 laps was where Grala started to flex his muscles as he worked his way into the top 15. During a cycle of pit stops under green with approximately 15 laps remaining, Grala found himself as the leader of the race. Ultimately, he led his first three career laps in the Cup circuit before he made his final pit stop under green for fuel to complete the race to its scheduled distance. Following his stop, he continued to battle inside the top 15. Following a late caution and a three-lap dash to the finish, he was able to muscle his way into the top 10 and cross the finish line under the checkered flag in seventh place ahead of names like William Byron, Joey Logano, Michael McDowell, Erik Jones, Alex Bowman, Brad Keselowski and Kurt Busch.

    With his first run in the Cup circuit concluding with a first top-10 career result, Grala became the 19th competitor to record a top-10 result in the Cup Series while driving for Richard Childress Racing and the fifth competitor to pilot the iconic No. 3 car in NASCAR’s premier series. Ironically, the Daytona Road Course event marked the 1,000th NASCAR Cup race for the No. 3 car under the Richard Childress Racing banner.

    “I can’t believe it,” Grala said on NBC. “It’s surreal to get the call from Richard [Childress] to drive the 3 [car] alone. I was really hoping for a top-30 finish. Man, seventh-place, that’s unbelievable. I couldn’t ask for anything more. My wishes are with Austin [Dillon]. I hope he’s back in the car next weekend [at Dover International Speedway], but it was an honor to get to drive this car and to finish P7, it’s just beyond my wildest dreams.”

    “[Today] was tough,” Grala added. “We got up to like 25th and we were racing our butt off like we were racing for the win in any other series. Everybody’s just unbelievable. Our strategy was good. [Crew chief] Justin Alexander called a great race and put ourselves up front where we needed to be. We executed.”

    The result came in his 62nd start across NASCAR’s three major national division series (Truck, Xfinity & Cup Series). He has made two starts this season in the NASCAR Xfinity Series and in RCR’s No. 21 Chevrolet Camaro, where he finished 13th at Kansas in July and a career-best fourth place last weekend at Road America. His lone NASCAR victory dates back to February 2017, where he won the season opener at Daytona International Speedway while driving for GMS Racing. Since joining RCR last season as a part-time competitor, Grala continues to strive for his goal in returning as a full-time competitor for any organization within NASCAR’s top division series.

    Ironically, this did not mark the only occasion where Grala drove a racing car sporting the number 3.

    “I drove the 3 car in Bandoleros, Legends Cars, Late Models growing up,” Grala noted. “I never thought I’d make my first Cup start in the 3 car and I certainly never thought I’d get a top 10 [result].”

    Announcements regarding Richard Childress Racing’s No. 3 Chevrolet team and Austin Dillon’s conditions for next weekend at Dover International Speedway for a series doubleheader weekend will be announced sometime this upcoming week.

  • Byron to surpass 150 starts across NASCAR following Michigan

    Byron to surpass 150 starts across NASCAR following Michigan

    In the midst of his battle for a postseason berth this season, William Byron is also set to achieve a significant milestone of his racing career. By competing in the upcoming NASCAR Cup Series doubleheader races at Michigan International Speedway, Byron will reach and surpass 150 starts across NASCAR’s three major division series (Truck, Xfinity and Cup Series).

    A native of Charlotte, North Carolina, and a student at Liberty University, Byron’s debut within NASCAR’s three major division series came in November 2015 at Phoenix Raceway and in the No. 9 Liberty University Toyota Tundra for Kyle Busch Motorsports in the NASCAR Truck Series. By then, he had achieved the 2015 NASCAR K&N Pro Series (ARCA) East championship and was named as a full-time driver for KBM for the 2016 Truck Series season. Byron’s Truck debut at Phoenix in 2015 was cut short six laps into the event following a multi-truck wreck.

    Byron started the 2016 campaign with a 13th-place result at Daytona, which was followed by a 32nd-place result at Atlanta due to an engine failure and a third-place result at Martinsville Speedway. At Kansas Speedway in May, Byron benefitted from an accident on the final lap and final corner involving leaders Johnny Sauter and Ben Rhodes to achieve his first Truck Series career win in his fifth series start. Following his first victory, Byron’s season skyrocketed with sensational results that included wins at Texas Motor Speedway, Iowa Speedway, Kentucky Speedway, Pocono Raceway and at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. By then, he was a member in the postseason and deemed a title favorite. Everything, however, came to a crushing defeat at Phoenix in November when Byron’s engine blew up and the mechanical issue prevented the Charlotte native and his No. 9 Toyota team from transferring to the Championship Round with an opportunity of winning the title. Despite the misfortune, he rebounded by winning the finale at Homestead and concluding the season in fifth in the final standings. Overall, Byron concluded the season with seven victories (the most among a Truck rookie candidate), three poles, 11 top-five results, 16 top-10 results, 727 laps led and an average result of 9.2. In addition, he was named the 2016 Truck Rookie of the Year as he also recorded the owners’ title for Kyle Busch Motorsports.

    In August 2016, Byron signed a multi-year contract with Hendrick Motorsports that included an opportunity for him to race in the 2017 NASCAR Xfinity Series season with JR Motorsports. Driving the No. 9 Liberty University/AXALTA Chevrolet Camaro led by crew chief Dave Elenz, Byron commenced his rookie Xfinity season with a ninth-place result at Daytona. Twelve races into the season, he finished in the top 10 six times. At Michigan in June, Byron was edged by Denny Hamlin by 0.012 seconds. The following race at Iowa Speedway, Byron was not to be denied as he scored his first Xfinity triumph. He responded again the following race by achieving his second series career victory at Daytona International Speedway. Three races later, Byron recorded another win of the season at Indianapolis Motor Speedway following an intense battle with Paul Menard. Through 31 of 33 Xfinity races, Byron recorded three victories, two poles, 10 top-five results and 20 top-10 results as he was also a member of the Playoffs. At Phoenix in November, Byron benefitted from a late two-tire pit stop to win and clinch his spot to the Championship Round at Homestead. During the finale at Homestead, Byron made a late pass on teammate and championship rival Elliott Sadler to finish in third place and achieve his first NASCAR Xfinity Series championship over Sadler, teammate Justin Allgaier and Daniel Hemric. In addition to achieving his first NASCAR Xfinity title and becoming the second rookie candidate to win the series title, Byron recorded the second championship for JR Motorsports.

    The 2018 season provided a new start of Byron’s racing career as he graduated to the NASCAR Cup Series to pilot the iconic No. 24 AXALTA/Liberty University Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 led by crew chief Darian Grubb. Byron started his rookie Cup season on a down note, finishing 23rd in the Daytona 500 and achieving one top-10 result through the first 18 races of the season. The end of July and beginning of August provided Byron’s highest moments of the season as he achieved back-to-back top-10 results at Pocono Raceway and at Watkins Glen International. Overall, Byron wrapped up his rookie Cup season with four top-10 results, 61 laps led and an average result of 22.1. He was also able to wrap up the 2018 Cup Rookie-of-the-Year title over Bubba Wallace.

    In 2019, Byron was paired with seven-time championship-winning crew chief Chad Knaus, who was formerly with seven-time series champion Jimmie Johnson. The Charlotte native started a new season of racing on a high note by winning his first Cup career pole position for the 61st running of the Daytona 500. With his accomplishment, Byron became the third competitor to win the pole for the 500 driving the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. He led 44 laps throughout the 500 and was in position of posting a strong result until a late wreck left him in 21st place in the final running order. Byron’s highest result for the following five races was 15th at Auto Club Speedway in March. At Texas, where he made his 100th across NASCAR’s three major division series, Byron recorded his first top-10 result of the season (sixth). For the remaining 20 regular-season races, Byron achieved three top-five results, eight top-10 results and three additional poles as he made his first appearance as a Cup postseason contender. He went on to achieve four more top-10 results and another pole before concluding the season in a career-best 11th place in the standings. Though he did not win a race, Byron notched career-high stats that included five top-five results, 13 top-10 results, five poles, 233 laps led and a best average result of 14.9. His other highlight to the season was winning the first stage of the All-Star Open at Charlotte Motor Speedway in May in a photo finish over Bubba Wallace, a win that transferred Byron and the No. 24 team to the All-Star Race. He finished ninth in the main event.

    This season, Byron started off with early momentum by winning the second Duel qualifying race at Daytona International Speedway and to line up in fourth place for the Daytona 500. He, however, finished last of the 40-car field following a wreck past the one-quarter mark of the race. Through the first 20 races of this season, he has achieved six top-10 results and an average result of 17.6. He is 15 points above the top-16 cutline with six regular-season races remaining until the 2020 Cup Playoffs field is determined.

    In his 149 previous starts across NASCAR’s three major division series, Byron has achieved 11 wins, 10 poles, 28 top-five results, 61 top-10 results and over 1,300 laps led.

    Catch Byron’s milestone start at Michigan on August 8 at 4 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

  • Bell to reach 150 starts across NASCAR following Michigan

    Bell to reach 150 starts across NASCAR following Michigan

    A significant milestone is in the making for Christopher Bell as the NASCAR Cup Series enters its upcoming doubleheader feature at Michigan International Speedway. By the time the Cup Series completes its two races at Michigan on back-to-back dates, Bell will achieve 150 starts across NASCAR’s three major division series (Truck, Xfinity and Cup Series).

    A native of Norman, Oklahoma, who started his racing career on dirt and won the 2013 USAC National Midget Series title, Bell made his debut within NASCAR’s three major division series at Iowa Speedway in June 2015, driving the No. 51 Toyota Tundra for Kyle Busch Motorsports. Finishing in fifth place in his Truck debut, Bell returned for the upcoming races at Kentucky Speedway and at Eldora Speedway in KBM’s No. 54 Toyota Tundra. After finishing 17th at Kentucky, Bell achieved his first NASCAR Truck career win at Eldora after leading a race-high 106 of 154 laps and prevailing over a late battle with Bobby Pierce. He made four more Truck starts for the remainder of the 2015 season, notching one top-10 result at Texas Motor Speedway in November.

    The following season, Bell was promoted as driver of the No. 4 JBL Toyota Tundra for KBM led by Jerry Baxter for the 2016 Truck Series season. In his first race in the No. 4 truck at Daytona International Speedway in February, Bell was involved in two separate incidents. He rallied from his incidents and was in position of recording a strong result until he was involved in a frightening accident on the final lap, where he barrel rolled nearly a dozen times past the start/finish line before coming to rest on all four wheels. He survived the incident and was transported to a local hospital for further evaluation. The following race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Bell was leading in the closing laps until he blew a right-front tire and smacked the outside wall in Turn 4 at full speed. Despite the accident, Bell emerged uninjured. It took until June, nine races into the season, for Bell to achieve his second Truck Series career win, first on a paved track, at Gateway. In addition to winning at Gateway, Bell racked up nine top-five results, 17 top-10 results, 197 laps led and an average result of 9.5. He qualified for the postseason and made it all the way to the Championship Round at Homestead-Miami Speedway, where he settled in third place in the final standings.

    In 2017, Bell remained with KBM but was paired with Ryan “Rudy” Fugle. Following an eighth-place finish at Daytona, Bell recorded his first victory of the season at Atlanta. Through 22 of 23 Truck races, Bell achieved five victories, five poles, 14 top-five results and 20 top-10 results. The results allowed Bell to make the postseason and all the way to the Championship Round at Homestead. At Homestead, Bell finished in the runner-up spot and clinched his first NASCAR Truck Series championship over Johnny Sauter, Austin Cindric and Matt Crafton. In addition to recording his first NASCAR title, he also recorded the second championship for Kyle Busch Motorsports. Throughout the 2017 season, Bell also made his eight NASCAR Xfinity Series career starts between the No. 18 and No. 20 Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing. During the eight races, he recorded his first Xfinity career win at Kansas Speedway in October following a late dust-up with teammate Erik Jones. He also achieved three top-five results and five top-10 results.

    The following season, Bell graduated to a full-time driving role in the Xfinity Series and in the No. 20 Rheem/GameStop Toyota for JGR led by crew chief Jason Ratcliff. Following the first seven races of the season, Bell recorded his first win of the season at Richmond in April following a late battle with Noah Gragson. In July, Bell made history as he notched three consecutive Xfinity wins at Kentucky Speedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway and at Iowa Speedway. Thus, he became the first Xfinity competitor to win three consecutive races in a season since Dale Earnhardt Jr. made the last accomplishment in 1999. Qualifying for the Playoffs on the strength of his victories and consistent runs throughout the regular season, Bell achieved wins at Richmond Raceway, Dover International Speedway and at Phoenix Raceway to make the Championship Round at Homestead with an opportunity of winning his first Xfinity championship. For the finale, however, Bell suffered a flat right-rear tire in the final laps and finished 11th, thus finishing in fourth place in the final standings and missing the Rookie-of-the-Year title to the eventual champion Tyler Reddick. Nonetheless, Bell concluded the season on a positive note with seven wins, five poles, 18 top-five results, 20 top-10 results, 759 laps led and an average result of 11.1.

    Bell remained in the Xfinity Series with JGR for the 2019 season. At Auto Club Speedway in March, Bell reached 100 starts between the Xfinity and Truck Series. Throughout the season, Bell was dominant as he earned victories at Atlanta, Bristol, Dover, Iowa, New Hampshire, Road America, Richmond and Texas, all while making the Playoffs and earning a spot for the Championship Round at Homestead. Though he came into the finale with momentum, he finished fifth at Homestead and concluded the season in third place in the final standings. Despite the result of not achieving his first Xfinity title, Bell recorded career-high stats that included eight wins, six poles, 20 top-five results, 21 top-10 results, 2,005 laps led and an average result of 9.1.

    This season started off on a fresh note for Bell, who graduated to the NASCAR Cup Series to drive the No. 95 Toyota Camry for Leavine Family Racing led by Ratcliff. Through last weekend’s Cup race at New Hampshire, the first 20 races of his Cup career, Bell has achieved one top-five result, five top-10 results, four laps led and an average result of 20.4. He is currently ranked in 23rd in the regular-season standings and is 129 points below the top-16 cutline with six regular-season races remaining until the 2020 Cup Playoffs field is determined.

    All told, Bell has recorded 23 wins, 18 poles, 68 top-five results, 92 top-10 results and over 4,100 laps led in his previous 148 starts between NASCAR’s three major division series.

    Catch Bell’s milestone start at Michigan on August 9, which will occur at 4:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

  • Austin Dillon to surpass 250 Cup starts following Michigan

    Austin Dillon to surpass 250 Cup starts following Michigan

    When Austin Dillon completes this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series doubleheader races at Michigan International Speedway, he will achieve a significant milestone of his racing career. By taking the green flag for the first Michigan race on Saturday, August 8, Dillon will reach 250 starts as a Cup competitor. He will then surpass his 250th start the following day on Sunday, August 9.

    A native of Welcome, North Carolina, and the eldest grandson of NASCAR championship owner and Hall of Famer Richard Childress, Dillon made his debut in NASCAR’s premier series at Kansas Speedway in October 2011, driving the No. 98 Curb Agajanian/Reagan Centennial/Camping World/Curb Records Chevrolet. By then, he was a full-time NASCAR Truck Series competitor for Richard Childress Racing and vying for the championship in the iconic No. 3 Chevrolet Silverado. He started and finished 26th in his Cup debut.

    The following season, Dillon made one Cup start at Michigan International Speedway in June. By then, he had achieved the 2011 Truck Series championship and was a rookie Xfinity Series competitor for RCR in the No. 3 Chevrolet Impala. Driving the No. 33 American Ethanol Chevrolet for RCR and led by veteran crew chief Gil Martin, Dillon started 22nd and finished 24th.

    In 2013, while entered as a full-time Xfinity Series competitor, Dillon made his first Daytona 500 career start in February. Driving the No. 33 Honey Nut Cheerios/Kroger Chevrolet SS for RCR, Dillon started in eighth and finished 31st. Over the course of the season, he competed in four more Cup races in RCR’s No. 33 Chevrolet and in four races in Phoenix Racing’s No. 51 Chevrolet. He also made two starts in the No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet for Stewart-Haas Racing as an interim competitor, filling in for the injured Tony Stewart. His best Cup result throughout the 2013 season was an 11th-place run at Michigan in June. At Talladega Superspeedway in October, while driving Stewart’s No. 14 Chevrolet, Dillon was running in third place on the final lap and was prepared to establish a race-winning move until he was involved in an accident on the final lap, where he was launched in the air after being hit by Casey Mears before he landed on the ground on all four tires. He ended his race in 26th place.

    In December 2013, a month after winning his first Xfinity Series championship, Dillon was named driver of the No. 3 Dow Chemicals/Cheerios/Bass Pro Shops/American Ethanol Chevrolet SS for the 2014 NASCAR Cup Series season led by Gil Martin. Dillon’s entrance as a rookie Cup candidate also marked the return of the No. 3 car in NASCAR’s premier series since the 2001 Daytona 500, where the sport’s icon Dale Earnhardt lost his life following an accident on the final lap and where Childress opted to retire the number following the race.

    Dillon’s first run in the No. 3 Chevrolet in the Cup Series started off on a high note by winning the pole position for the 2014 Daytona 500 with a pole-winning lap at 196.019 mph. Dillon’s accomplishment marked the first time the No. 3 car started on pole for the Daytona 500 since 1996 as he also became the 40th competitor to start on pole position for the 500, fourth to do so driving the No. 3 car. He also became the fifth rookie candidate to start on pole position for the Daytona 500 and the youngest pole winner of the 500 at age 23 years, nine months and 27 days old (a record that was supplanted in 2016 by Chase Elliott). During the main event, Dillon rallied from being involved in a late multi-car wreck to finish ninth. Throughout his rookie season, Dillon achieved one top-five result, four top-10 results, 10 laps led and an average result of 17.5. He concluded the season in 20th in the final standings and fell short of the Rookie-of-the-Year title to Kyle Larson.

    For the first 15 races of the 2015 season, Dillon achieved only one top-10 result and was situated in 23rd in the regular-season standings. The following race at Sonoma Raceway, veteran Richard “Slugger” Labbe replaced Gil Martin as Dillon’s crew chief. The following race at Daytona International Speedway, Dillon was involved in a harrowing accident on the final lap on the frontstretch, when he was launched into the air past the finish line and smashed into the catchfence before coming to rest on his roof and being hit by a spinning Brad Keselowski. Despite the accident that demolished the No. 3 Chevrolet, Dillon emerged with a bruised tailbone and forearm. Amazingly, he was able to finish in seventh place before the wreck. Finishing the year with Labbe, Dillon recorded a top-five result, four more top-10 results and an average result of 21.0. He concluded the season in 21st in the final standings.

    Dillon started off the 2016 on a strong note, finishing ninth in the Daytona 500 before achieving two back-to-back top-10 results at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and at Phoenix. He went on to achieve his second Cup career pole at Auto Club Speedway in March before finishing fourth at Martinsville Speedway in April. By then, with four top-10 finishes under his belt, Dillon was ranked in seventh in the regular-season standings. Dillon went on to record six additional top-10 results and enough consistent results to make his first appearance in the Playoffs. By then, he also surpassed 100 Cup career starts. Dillon would conclude the season in 14th in the final standings, but he achieved a career-high four top-five results, a career-high 13 top-10 results, two poles and a best average result of 15.9.

    For the first 11 races of the 2017 Cup season, Dillon achieved only one top-five result and was situated in 22nd in the regular-season standings. For the upcoming race, the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Justin Alexander replaced Slugger Labbe as Dillon’s crew chief. In his first race with Alexander, Dillon survived on low fuel to achieve his elusive first Cup career win at his home track and in his 133rd series start. To August 2020, Dillon is one of 33 competitors to win across NASCAR’s three major division series. The victory marked the first since October 2000 where the No. 3 car won a Cup race and it guaranteed Dillon’s team a spot in the 2017 Playoffs. Finishing the year off with Alexander, Dillon achieved three top-five results, four top-10 results and an average result of 18.6 before concluding the season in a career-high 11th place.

    The 2018 season started off on a high note for Dillon, where he dodged a late carnage and took the lead on the final lap following an incident with Aric Almirola to win the 60th running of the Daytona 500. In addition to achieving his second Cup career win and becoming the 39th driver to win NASCAR’s prestigious event, Dillon’s first Daytona 500 triumph came on the 20th anniversary where the late Dale Earnhardt won his first and only Daytona 500 in 1998. The 500 win was also the first for RCR since 2007 and in the first Cup race for the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. For the remainder of the season, Dillon achieved another top-five result and seven more top-10 results along with an average result of 17.5 before he concluded the season in 13th in the final standings.

    In 2019, Dillon reunited with crew chief Danny Stockman Jr., whom he won the 2011 Truck and 2013 Xfinity titles with Dillon. Following the first seven races of the year, Dillon reached 200 Cup career starts at Texas Motor Speedway in March. Though he won three poles, he achieved six top-10 results and an average result of 19.5. Missing the 2019 Playoffs, Dillon concluded the season in 21st in the final standings.

    This season, reuniting with Alexander, Dillon has achieved two top-five results, five top-10 results and an average result of 16.7 through the first 20 Cup races. He has also recorded a win, third of his career, at Texas Motor Speedway in July and is one of 10 competitors to be guaranteed a spot for the 2020 Playoffs.

    Catch Dillon’s milestone start in the first Michigan International Speedway race on August 8, which will air at 4 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

  • Jones to make 250th start across NASCAR at Kansas

    Jones to make 250th start across NASCAR at Kansas

    When the NASCAR Cup Series competes in the Super Start Batteries 400 at Kansas Speedway on Thursday, July 23, Erik Jones will reach a significant milestone of his racing career. By starting this week’s race at Kansas, Jones will reach 250 starts across NASCAR’s three major division series.

    A native of Byron, Michigan, Jones’ racing career started at age seven in quarter-midget racing. From quarter midgets to Late Models, the CRA All-Star Tour and the ARCA Racing Series, Jones gained the attention of NASCAR Cup Series competitor Kyle Busch in December 2012, whom Jones beat to win the Snowball Derby. The following season, Jones made his first appearance within NASCAR’s three major division series when Kyle Busch Motorsports signed Jones to a five-race Truck Series deal in the No. 51 Kyle Busch Motorsports Toyota Tundra. Racing at Martinsville Speedway, Rockingham Speedway and in two Iowa Speedway races, Jones achieved top-10 results in all of his starts. In November, Jones prevailed in a late battle with Ross Chastain to record his first Truck Series career win at Phoenix International Raceway. Prior to September 2014, Jones was the youngest winner across NASCAR’s major series at age 17 years, five months and eight days old. Jones’ win at Phoenix contributed to KBM’s No. 51 Toyota team winning the owners’ championship in a tie-breaker against eventual champion Matt Crafton and ThorSport Racing.

    In 2014, Jones competed in 12 Truck races with KBM and made his first three NASCAR Xfinity Series starts in the No. 20 Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing. In the Truck Series, Jones won three races and recorded two poles, five top-five results and eight top-10 results as he contributed to winning the second consecutive Truck owners’ title for KBM. Racing at Chicagoland Speedway in July, Bristol Motor Speedway in August and at Phoenix International Speedway in November, all in the Xfinity Series, Jones finished in the top 10.

    In 2015, Jones expanded his racing schedule by competing the entire 23-race schedule in the Truck Series for KBM and in 23 Xfinity Series races for JGR. In the Xfinity Series, Jones recorded his first career win at Texas Motor Speedway in April after beating Brad Keselowski and Dale Earnhardt Jr. He won his second race at Chicagoland in June and went on to record three poles, 13 top-five results and 17 top-10 results. In the Truck Series, Jones achieved three wins, five poles, 11 top-five results and 20 top-10 results as he beat Tyler Reddick and Crafton to win the 2015 Truck Series championship. With his title, Jones became the youngest Truck Series champion at age 19 years, five months and 20 days old as he also recorded the first drivers’ title for Kyle Busch Motorsports.

    To go along with his eventful 2015 schedule, Jones turned in his first laps in the NASCAR Cup Series at Bristol in April, where he served as a relief competitor for Denny Hamlin, who relinquished his seat to Jones due to neck spasms. While Jones finished 26th, Hamlin was credited with the result and the points since he started the race. Jones made his official Cup debut at Kansas Speedway in May, driving the No. 18 M&M’s/Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry as an interim competitor for the injured and eventual series champion Kyle Busch. Despite having a strong run, where he ran within the top five, Jones was involved in a late single-car incident in Turn 4 and settled in 40th. In November, Jones competed in two races in JGR’s No. 20 DeWalt/Dollar General Toyota Camry at Texas Motor Speedway and at Phoenix, replacing Matt Kenseth, who was suspended for deliberately wrecking Joey Logano the previous race at Martinsville Speedway. Jones finished 12th at Texas and 19th at Phoenix.

    The following season, Jones moved up to the NASCAR Xfinity Series in Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 20 Toyota Camry. Throughout the 33-race schedule, Jones won four races, two Dash 4 Cash bonuses and nine poles as he also achieved 15 top-five results and 20 top-10 results. He made the inaugural Championship Round, but finished fourth in the final standings after finishing ninth in the finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Though he did not achieve his first Xfinity title, he was named the 2016 Rookie-of-the-Year in the series. By then, he had surpassed 100 starts across NASCAR’s three major division series as he also made one Truck start at Gateway Motorsports Park in June for Kyle Busch Motorsports, where he finished fifth.

    In 2017, Jones graduated to the Cup Series and was named driver of the No. 77 5-Hour Energy Toyota Camry for Furniture Row Racing, which marks the first and only time FRR expanded to a two-car operation. Throughout his rookie Cup season, Jones recorded his first career pole along with five top-five results and 14 top-10 results. His best performances were at Michigan International Speedway and at Bristol in August. He finished third at Michigan, his home track, and dominated the following race at Bristol, leading a race-high 260 laps from the pole before he was overtaken by Kyle Busch in the closing laps and settled in second. Despite not recording a win throughout the season nor making the Playoffs, Jones beat Daniel Suarez to claim the Rookie-of-the-Year title. With his accomplishment, Jones also became the first NASCAR competitor to achieve the Rookie-of-the-Year title across NASCAR’s three major division series. He also competed in 18 Xfinity races for JGR, where he won three races and swept both Texas races.

    The following season, Jones replaced Matt Kenseth as driver of the No. 20 Toyota Camry for JGR. Through the first 17 races, Jones finished in the top 10 seven times and was ranked in 14th in the regular-season standings. The following week in July, Jones survived a carnage-filled night to beat former teammate/reigning champion Martin Truex Jr. and achieve his first NASCAR Cup career win at Daytona International Speedway. To July 2020, Jones is one of 33 competitors to record a victory across NASCAR’s three major division series. At the time of his win, he also became the ninth Cup competitor to win driving for Joe Gibbs Racing. The victory guaranteed a spot in the Playoffs for Jones, crew chief Chris Gayle and the No. 20 team. Jones, however, achieved one pole and 10 top-10 results for the remainder of the season as he concluded the year in 15th in the final standings. While he did not compete in any Xfinity race, he made one start in the Truck Series at Pocono Raceway in July as a relief competitor for Noah Gragson. He finished in the runner-up spot following a late battle with Kyle Busch.

    Jones remained with JGR in the Cup Series for the 2019 season. Throughout last season, Jones recorded his second Cup career win in the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway in September, a victory that guaranteed the Michigan native a spot in the Playoffs for the second consecutive year. In addition, Jones recorded 10 top-five results and 17 top-10 results before concluding the year in 16th in the final standings. When the 2019 season concluded, Jones had surpassed 200 starts across NASCAR’s three major division series as he also made one Xfinity start during the season at Bristol in August, where he finished 37th in XCI Racing’s No. 81 Toyota Supra after being involved in an early accident.

    Through the first 18 Cup races of this season, Jones has recorded four top-five results and seven top-10 results. He is ranked 18th in the regular-season standings and is 24 points below the top-16 cutline in an effort to make his third consecutive Cup Playoffs appearance. His lone highlight to this season has been winning the non-points Busch Clash at Daytona in February, where he rallied from being involved in three multi-car wrecks to receive a push from teammate Denny Hamlin on the final lap and pull away to win with a wrecked car.

    Catch Jones’ milestone start in NASCAR in the Super Start Batteries 400 at Kansas on July 23 at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN.

  • Matt McCall set for 200th Cup race as crew chief at Kansas

    Matt McCall set for 200th Cup race as crew chief at Kansas

    When the green flag waves on Thursday, July 23, for the Super Start Batteries 400 at Kansas Speedway, Matt McCall will achieve a significant milestone of his racing career. McCall, who currently serves as crew chief for Kurt Busch and the No. 1 Monster Energy/Chip Ganassi Racing Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE team, will reach 200 starts as a Cup crew chief.

    A native of Denver, North Carolina, and a graduate from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte with a major in mechanical engineering, McCall started his racing career at age nine as a go-kart driver. He would go on to win the 2004 Super Sport track championship at Hickory Motor Speedway. He also achieved two UARA-Stars titles in 2005 and 2009. In October 2003, he made his NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series debut at Martinsville Speedway. Driving the No. 56 Denver Marine/Hot Wheels Chevrolet for Danny McCall, Matt McCall finished 21st, two laps behind, in his series debut.

    In 2006, McCall competed in five NASCAR Xfinity Series races and two ARCA Menards Series races. In February, driving the No. 55 CitiFinancial Ford for Yates Racing, McCall started and finished in the runner-up spot behind veteran Bobby Gerhart at Daytona International Speedway in his ARCA debut. His other ARCA start was at Kentucky Speedway in May, where he started fifth and finished third. McCall’s first Xfinity race was at Bristol Motor Speedway in March, where he qualified 21st and finished 24th in Yates Racing’s No. 90 CitiFinancial Ford. His other four Xfinity starts came at Nashville Superspeedway in April, Dover International Speedway in June, Nashville in June and at Martinsville Speedway in July, where his respective finishes were 42nd, 41st, 34th and 26th.

    After being released from Yates Racing, McCall joined Richard Childress Racing as a race engineer. In July 2013, McCall served as an interim crew chief for veteran Jeff Burton and the No. 31 Caterpillar Chevrolet team in the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. In McCall’s first NASCAR race as a crew chief, Burton finished 43rd, last place, due to a mechanical issue. McCall also made one Truck start at Bristol Motor Speedway in August and in the No. 92 BTS Tire & Wheel Distributors Chevrolet for team owner Ricky Benton, where he started 27th and finished 22nd.

    Following the 2014 season, McCall departed RCR and joined Chip Ganassi Racing to serve as a Cup Series crew chief for Jamie McMurray and the No. 1 McDonald’s/Cessna Chevrolet team. In McCall’s first full season as crew chief, McMurray achieved four top-five results, 10 top-10 results and made his first Chase for the Cup before settling in 13th in the final standings and despite achieving no wins throughout the season. Between 2016 and 2017, McMurray and McCall did not win, but they achieved a combined five top-five results, 29 top-10 results and made the Chase in both seasons, finishing 13th in the 2016 standings and 12th in the 2017 standings. In 2018, McMurray and McCall did not win and they did not make the Playoffs as they only achieved two top-five results, eight top-10 results and a final points result of 20th.

    In 2019, McCall remained with Chip Ganassi Racing, but was paired with the 2004 NASCAR Cup Series champion Kurt Busch, who replaced McMurray as driver of the No. 1 Chevrolet with Monster Energy sponsoring him. For the first 17 Cup races of the season, McCall and Busch achieved four top-five results, two runner-up results, nine top-10 results. The following race at Daytona International Speedway, Busch and McCall were in position to win before they, along with others, decided to pit late in the race for tires and fuel. The strategy, however, did not fall into the favors for Busch when a lightning strike near Daytona paused and eventually, made the race official as Busch was scored back in 10th.

    The following race at Kentucky Speedway, McCall achieved his first NASCAR Cup Series win as a crew chief when Kurt Busch held off brother, Kyle, in a two-lap shootout to grab a thrilling win, a victory that guaranteed Busch and the No. 1 team a spot in the 2019 Cup Playoffs. Busch and McCall would record seven more top-10 results for the remainder of the season before settling in 13th in the final standings. The combo also achieved three stage wins throughout the 2019 season.

    Through the first 18 Cup races of this season, McCall and Busch have achieved a pole, a stage win, four top-five results and 11 top-10 results. They are ranked ninth in the regular-season standings and are 108 points above the top-16 cutline to the Playoffs.

    Catch McCall’s milestone start in the Super Start Batteries 400 at Kansas Speedway on July 23 at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBCSN.